Paving the way to Resilient and Sustainable Cities in the International Forum “Connect RN”
The second Panel of the International Forum “Connect RN” on “Paving the way to Resilient and Sustainable Cities” explored how Latin American and European cities are innovating to become more resilient and sustainable in face of the global challenges posed by climate change and world pandemics.
Moderated by MCR2030 Technical Advisors, the Panel that took place on September 29th, presented inspiring local experiences promoting disaster preparedness and urban resilience. It also showcased successful city experiences and benefitted from the participation of a panel of high-level technical representatives in the field of urban resilience, from both Latin America and Europe.
Joanna Guerra, Secretary of Urban Planning at Natal City Hall (RN, Brasil), opened the event by officially announcing the commitment of Natal to MCR2030 and referred to this landmark as an important step in the journey of Natal towards building more resilient communities. Following that, Luciana Cardoso, from Global Programs and Impact Consultant in Resilient Cities Network, presented the impressive portfolio of the organization worldwide, with a special mention of the Urban Ocean Program and its actual benefits in Panama City, as well as replication potential in other Latin American cities. Cassia Moraes, the founder of Youth Climate Leaders, explained the relevance of youth inclusion in urban resilience and sustainable development policies. The ONG offers training and capacity-building events to give young professionals the tools to start impactful careers in green sectors, thereby tackling two current global challenges: the climate crisis and the structural unemployment of the youth. Francisco Javier Rivera Picon, Deputy Director of Knowledge and Risk Reduction at the Administrative Department of Disaster Risk Management of the Mayor's Office of Medellín (COL), showcased the progress made by the Colombian city in its decade-long resilience journey, with a strong focus on building disaster-resilient infrastructures. He mentioned the value of international cooperation to implement policies at the city level and invited Latin American and European cities wishing to foster urban resilience in their communities to join MCR2030. Eventually, José Antonio Mateos Fernandez, Technical Advisor for Cooperation and Financing of the Metropolitan Company of Water Supply and Sanitation of Sevilla (ESP), illustrated how local governments can develop innovative solutions for urban resilience via the “Proyecto CartujaQanat”. Under a unique public-private governance model, Sevilla implemented low-tech solutions against urban heat islands, without any energy consumption, by renovating century-old groundwater canals located beneath the Spanish city.
During the event, the Forum officially announced the participation of the State of Rio Grande do Norte in the MCR2030 initiative. Forum “Connect RN” is a platform to promote the research, development and innovation ecosystem of the State of Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil) and leverage discussion and knowledge exchange on global challenges of the current and future times, creating opportunities for international collaboration to develop innovative solutions. Rio Grande do Norte believes a multi-disciplinary approach is a key to building the path to a resilient and sustainable city, where local government prioritizes nature and people on a disaster and risks prevention and social equity approach.
This event stemmed from close collaboration among UNDRR and the MCR2030 initiative core partners such as Youth Climate Leaders and R-Cities Network. It showcases how cooperation between European and Latin American cities can contribute to reaching more resilient urban futures.
More information about the International Forum Connect RN.